A Contemporary Ballet Class tailored to you
No matter where you are on your dancing journey, ZEST will help you get there. Our classes are for those who never thought they could and for those training for auditions, for those who miss being onstage and for those who don't yet know the feeling.
They're for everyone, but not one-size-fits-all.
The classes offered at ZEST Dance Studio Berlin are tailored to YOU. Although the classes are based in contemporary ballet, they are also much more than that. The aim is for each student to embark on a personal journey with dance, finding their own dance language and identity. Guided by the teacher, students are able to deeply explore their artistic freedom through dance.
WHAT DO THESE CONTEMPORARY BALLET CLASSES LOOK LIKE?
Each class is divided into three parts:
1. Posture and muscle strengthening exercises
This helps ensure students work properly during the more dynamic parts of the class, helping them avoid injuries and further developing their body’s performance.
2. Technique
Students will practise exercises based in Vaganova ballet, Cunningham ballet and Dance Theatre (Tanz Theater) techniques. Special emphasis is placed on studying different qualities of movement, the intention of the body and the poetry of gestures. If you’re just starting out, don’t worry if these terms don’t mean anything to you yet – they will soon enough!
3. Choreography and Improvisation
This is where we put the movements and techniques studied in class to good use! Students are invited to explore their own dance identity and expression by applying the techniques learned thus far.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIVATE DANCE LESSONS
Improving the awareness of the body is one of the guiding principles behind the contemporary ballet classes at ZEST. For this reason, each adult student begins by taking one-on-one private dance lessons with the teacher. During these individual dance classes, full attention is paid to the needs of the student, including their body’s unique system, posture and personality.
When ready, the teacher will propose that the student also join a small group dance class with max. 5 people. Here, students learn from one another as well as from the teacher in a non-competitive, supportive and cooperative environment.
Are you ready to embark on your personal dance journey?
THE ZEST TEAM: Get to know the teachers!
GIULIA MANDELLI (Founder & Director of ZEST)
Giulia Mandelli is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer from Italy with a lifelong passion for movement.
She began ballet at the age of 3 and went on to train in Academic Ballet Techniques at national centers in Italy, including "Balletto di Milano" Teatro Carcano (Milan) and the Balletto Liliana Cosi /Marinel Stefanescu (Reggio Emilia). She studied with renowned instructors such as Margarita Smirnova, Bella Ratchinskaya, and Carmen Ragghianti, before expanding into contemporary dance at Susanna Beltrami’s DanceHaus Academy, where she graduated in 2012.
Giulia has performed with companies and projects across Europe, including Dagipoli Dance Theatre (Athens), Siciliano Contemporary Ballet (Berlin), and SetTanz Theatre (Nuremberg). In 2015 she co-founded GUT REACTION PERCUSSIVE DANCE THEATRE with musician Marco Rivagli (Founder & Director of Berlin Drum Experience), touring internationally with original productions. She is also a partner in Berlin Drum Experience GbR, where she develops cross-disciplinary projects and hold Phisycal Training For Drummers course. Most recently, Giulia joined the renowned Mexican band Rabia Sorda as both dancer and percussionist, bringing her hybrid artistry to the music stage.
Now based in Berlin, Giulia continues to perform and create while dedicating herself to teaching. At ZEST, she combines professional expertise with a warm, caring approach, helping each student grow in confidence, creativity, and discipline while discovering the joy of dance.
KAROLINA WYRWAL
Karolina Wyrwał is a Berlin-based choreographer, performer, teacher, and video producer. A graduate of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance (UK), she has performed with the Polish Dance Theatre, cie. toula limnaios, Thikwa Theater, and Tanztheater Global, collaborating with renowned choreographers such as Ohad Naharin and Shobana Jeyasingh.
As a creator, Karolina has choreographed works for theatre, film, and interdisciplinary projects, co-founding the collective SpectraKalimoto to merge movement, visual art, and immersive performance. Her art films have been featured at international festivals, including the WHY Foundation’s global campaign Why Plastic.
Recipient of grants from the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and the Goethe Institute, Karolina continues to develop innovative projects, teach, and perform across Europe.
Barbara Uchdorf
Barbara Uchdorf received her dance training in ballet, tap and jazz at Dance Unlimited in Miami, Florida under Dani Beck and Kimberly Beck Thomson, winning numerous ballet scholarships and taking part in the Young Americans. She has been dancing and performing in Berlin at Zest under Giulia Mandelli for over ten years, following Vaganova ballet technique. She has years of experience working with young children and loves encouraging their creativity and confidence.
